Parents and officials of the Georgia charter schools whose funding has been threatened by a state Supreme Court ruling are seeking help from an unlikely source -- the local school districts that once opposed their organization.
The Georgia Supreme Court said Monday the state commission that approved 16 of Georgia’s 170 charter schools is unconstitutional. For those schools affected, which have the capacity to serve up to 15,000 students, up to half their budgets could be in jeopardy. That would cripple some of the schools’ ability to keep teachers in the classroom and pay rent.
Organizers of Cherokee Charter Academy and Ivy Preparatory Academy in Gwinnett County are among the Atlanta-area charter schools rushing to get local approval on Thursday to operate after being previously rebuffed by county school boards. A third school, Fulton Leadership Academy, said it is rallying parents to get local approval.
Local school board approval appears to be the quickest way for the schools to maintain their charters and keep their funding.
“I am hoping it’s possible,” said Alanna Crisante, who wants her 6-year-old, Rhiannon, to be in Cherokee County’s first charter school this fall.
Charter schools are public schools, but operate independently from local school board control. They get their funding from state, federal and a matching share of local education dollars which follow students from the public schools they leave. More than 150 Georgia charter schools -- which serve 65,000 students -- were approved by local school boards.
Both Cherokee Academy and Ivy Prep were denied charters by their local school boards. They earned charters from the Georgia Charter Schools Commission. The General Assembly established the commission because legislators thought local school boards were dragging their feet giving approvals.
The Supreme Court ruled Monday only local school districts can open public schools, including charters.
Over the past two days many parents’ delight and excitement about children going to charter schools has turned to consternation and anxiety. Their options appear to be asking for local approval, earning approval by the Georgia Board of Education, or awaiting a legislative fix that pro-charter school lawmakers say they will attempt, but could take years.
Crissante got an email from the local charter-school group notifying her of the decision and asking her and the other parents of more than 2,400 students who applied to the school to lobby school board members to consider a quick approval. It’s a tactic other schools are using.
Cherokee Academy’s prospects for local approval may have improved in January. The board added three new members, two of whom campaigned as charter friendly.
One of them, Michael Geist, said the board is waiting while its attorney considers whether or not it is possible to reconsider the request, which was supposed to be made by April 30, according to local guidelines.
“I hate to see the unrest, and I want to make that waiting period for the kids and parents as short as possible,” Geist said.
“If it’s legally possible, then yes, its worth considering again,” he said.
Gwinnett will consider Ivy Prep’s request at its 7 p.m. meeting. Sloan Roach, spokeswoman for Gwinnett County Public Schools, has said the earlier rejection of Ivy Prep's initial petition will not influence the consideration of the school’s newest petition.
The all-girl academy held a rally Monday to encourage families to stay positive. Some shed tears over the setback, but promised to fight.
“We are never going to give up,” said sixth grader Lauren Williams. “We have pride, we persevere. Perseverance, is one of our four Prep values.”
Seth Coleman, a spokesman for the Georgia Charter Schools association, said it thinks funding for the affected schools is secure through the end of the year, but questions remain as attorneys and school boards try to figure what Monday’s court ruling means practically.
Tony Roberts, CEO of the association said during a rally Tuesday that drew about 400 people to the state Capitol that his organization is reaching out to legislators and the governor to get the issue on the agenda for the special legislative session in August. But a legislative fix could take months, possibly involving a state-wide vote for a constitutional amendment.
Some schools can’t afford a protracted fight. Fulton Leadership Academy, for example, got $463,204 this year in local share money of the $823,543 it received from the state.
Richardean Golden Anderson, superintendent of Fulton Leadership Academy, said it would have trouble covering salaries at the school that serves 100 boys.
“We would be severely impacted,” she said. “That covers a large portion of our budget.”
If local petitions fail, the schools may have another option. Georgia Schools Superintendent John Barge said the state can approve chartered-special schools. The deadline for application passed, but Barge said some flexibility may be afforded to schools impacted by the court decision.
But if approved under that scenario, there would be a financial impact to the charter schools. As special schools, they would not get an approximate local share of money, which makes up about half of a commission charter school's funding
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